Meruto's Choice
by harada sis
Summary: Sequel to Meruto’s Wish...It’s been 10 years since she went back in time...so now, she’s 16. Meruto found her own Takky, but he died. She told herself to never love anyone else. And a Shinigami has come to take her soul. Will she go?
1. Mitsuki

**Meruto's Choice**

**Sequel to Meruto's Wish...It's been 10 years since she went back in time...so now, she's 16. Meruto found her own Takky, but he died. She told herself to never love anyone else. And a Shinigami has come to take her soul. Will she go?**

**No, I don't own Full Moon, Takuto, etc. But I do own Meruto! XD And the new Shinigami. I do LOVE Takuto/Mitsuki together, so I had to give Meruto someone! XD Hopefully, this will turn out better than my beginning. XD**

**Chapter 1**

**Mitsuki...**

Ten years have passed since Meruto's journey into the past. Her dreams haven't changed much, but her body and soul have. Her heart condition hasn't gotten any better, but she has grown up a lot. Throughout the years since she was six, she's found love, lost love, and vowed never to love again. Her mother and father are the most important people to her, but she can't bring herself to let anyone else close to her. Her distance and coldness is known everywhere around.

Meruto laid on her bed, staring up at her ceiling, thinking about what she could do. Her life was worthless; it had been ever since she lost that special person. And everyday, she visited his grave...every single day.

"Why can't I forget him?" Meruto asked herself. "Why can't I just get on with my life?" Silent tears streamed down her face as she thought about the times in the past where she had desperately wanted to kill herself to be with him.

Suddenly, a beeping made her sit up. The beeping came from her alarm. Takuto was out shopping and it was up to Meruto to take care of her sick mother. Her mother had a horrible sickness, but none of the doctors could figure out what it was. All they could do was to prescribe medicine after medicine...but none of them had any effect.

Meruto dragged herself out of bed and slipped her slippers on. She yawned and walked out of the room and down the long hallway to her mother's room. When she stood at the doorway, she saw a figure by her mother's bed. She rubbed her eyes and looked again. The figure was a human, but with small ears like a tiger's. With these ears, Meruto realized what the figure was.

Her eyes widened in horror. "NO!" she yelled and ran into the room. She jumped at the figure, making them both fall to the floor, her on top of it. "Don't take my mother!" she said almost silently to it.

Suddenly, the body of Mitsuki glowed on the bed and instantly, Meruto was up and right by her side. The glowing stopped just as suddenly as it came and Meruto grabbed Mitsuki's hand. It was dead cold. She dropped it just as fast as she picked it up. Tears ran down her face that she couldn't stop. Her eyes were wide and her whole body shaking. "No...No...Mom..." she breathed and then spun around, looking for the figure, but it was gone.

"How could you take her?" Meruto screamed at nothing. Her voice cracked and her sobs were present the whole time. "How could you take her from Takuto? Now...he..." She fell to her knees on the ground and then, started coughing. Her chest burned as if it was on fire. She had been through too much and her heart couldn't take it. _No...don't take me too...Please..._ her mind shouted.

"MERUTO?" a voice yelled through the house. Footsteps sounded on the stairs and then, Takuto entered the room, panting. "Meruto...Mi-Mi-Mitsuki..." he stated in a state of astonishment. He glided over to Mitsuki's bed and looked at her lifeless form.

Meruto's coughing ceased after she caught her breath and the first thought in her mind was that her mother was gone, just like her first love. "Mitsuki..." Takuto said and lifted her off the bed and into his arms. Meruto's eyes saddened. Takuto's eyes were widened in shock and tears were streaming down his face.

And so, Meruto left. She dragged herself back to her room and laid back on it, drowning herself with her tears. "Mom...how could you die? Takuto did so much to save you. He...loves you..." her small voice stated. "How could you do this to him? To the one who loves you?" Her thoughts drifted to her own forgotten love and then, quickly shut out her memories of it. She hated him for doing that to her.

Then, she sat up and tilted her head towards a picture on her desk. It was a picture of her and her first love, Tai, sleeping. Her mother had taken it. "Tai...how could you do that to me?" Meruto asked herself, letting her silent tears run down her face still.

"Meruto?" a voice asked from outside the room. Meruto wiped her tears and said, "Come in!" as she got up to sit on her bed. The door opened to reveal Takuto. His eyes had turned sad from shocked and he wasn't holding Mitsuki anymore.

"Are you okay, Meruto?" Takuto asked with concern. "Mitsuki's gone..." His words made her look up at him. He was looking at the ground, most likely thinking of Mitsuki.

Suddenly, Meruto rose from her bed and hugged Takuto. "I'm sorry, Dad, it was my fault for not watching her properly! And letting that evil Shinigami take her!"

Abruptly, Takuto grabbed Meruto's shoulders and asked, "What did you just say?" His face looked at her with extreme panic.

"I didn't get a good look at him, but I know he had tiger ears..." Meruto replied with sadness. Her tears just wouldn't stop. "I tried to stop him, but it didn't work..."

Takuto stayed still for a few moments as silence filled the room. "How is it possible for you to see a Shinigami?" he asked in a slow and sad voice.

"I could see you when you-" Meruto started.

"This is different!" Takuto interrupted with force. "There must be a reason why you could see him! How have you been feeling lately?"

Meruto blinked and thought about it. "I've been fine...not any different than normal..." she replied slowly.

Takuto sighed. "Well, tell me if that Shinigami shows up again, alright?" he asked. Meruto nodded and Takuto left the room, probably to return to Mitsuki.

Meruto fell to her knees, breathing hard. She had been feeling worse than usual, but she could never tell her father about it. He would just watch over her like a hawk. And also, maybe she wanted to have an excuse to die...to see Tai again...

"Why can't I just forget about him?" Meruto almost screamed and then coughed. "That's all I want! I want to forget!" Her coughing continued, but when she was ten, she installed a software so neither her father nor mother would be able to hear through the walls unless they were right next to them. Soon, her eyes were giving out on her and the room around her was spinning.

"All I want...is to forget..." Meruto muttered with her last breath before she passed out, sprawled onto the floor.

(A/n: Yessum, I'm back with Meruto! If you don't understand about the whole Tai ordeal, it's okay because I will explain eventually. I think this is going to be a short story...only a few chapters. :P Because I want it to be. I just loved Meruto too much to end it there...)


	2. Tomoko

**Meruto's Choice**

**Sequel to Meruto's Wish...It's been 10 years since she went back in time...so now, she's 16. Meruto found her own Takky, but he died. She told herself to never love anyone else. And a Shinigami has come to take her soul. Will she go?**

**No, I don't own Full Moon, Takuto, etc. But I do own Meruto! XD And the new Shinigami.**

**Chapter 2**

**Tomoko...**

Suddenly, Meruto sprang up, breathing hard. Her eyes darted around the room as she asked herself where she was. Then, she remembered. She had fainted right after her mother died. Tears filled her eyes as she remembered her mother. "Mom...you...were the only one who cared for me...you and Takuto...after...after Tai..." Meruto started, but couldn't finish. Her tears were coming out as sobs now and she couldn't speak anymore.

Soon, her sobs stopped, but silent tears still fell. She didn't attempt to make them stop because if she did, she felt she would just be hurting Mitsuki...her mother, her great friend, her savior. Her teary eyes examined the room, noticing that no other person was in it, not even Takuto. Did he not stay the night with her?

As if answering her question, the door to the room opened and Takuto walked in, carrying a tray of food. "How are you feeling?" Takuto asked and then saw Meruto's tears. "Ah, what's wrong?" he asked and almost dropped the tray as he sped over to her side.

Meruto couldn't help but let a small laugh escape her. Then, she looked sadly out the window, away from Takuto. "Mom's gone..." she said quietly.

Suddenly, Takuto hugged Meruto and Meruto sobbed into his shoulder. (A/n: This is a scene between a FATHER and his DAUGHTER! Do NOT mistake it for lovers, please. Thank you.)

"I know...but at least she had a good life..." Takuto replied, allowing silent tears to fall down his cheeks. He couldn't allow Meruto to hear him crying.

"And she had you..." Meruto stated and released Takuto from the hug, still letting tears stream down her face. She looked Takuto right in the eyes and smiled the saddest smile she ever wore, the same smile she wore the day Tai died.

Takuto's eyes grew wide, tears still falling from them, and then he looked to the ground and chuckled. "Look at us. Crying over Mitsuki. She would never want it to be this way..." he stated and raised his head, wiping the tears form his eyes.

"No, mom would've wanted us to keep on living, making the best out of life..." Meruto replied and wiped her tears away too. "And that's what I plan on doing. I can't sit still any longer. I..." Meruto took a deep breath, pausing before she said what's been on her mind for the past 9 years. "I...want to be a runner...just like Tai."

Takuto's eyes grew in shock and then, they calmed. He set his hands on Meruto's shoulders and then looked straight into her eyes. "I can't allow you to do that. It would be too much strain on your heart-"

"I don't care!" Meruto yelled as an interruption and then repeated quieter, "I don't care..." Suddenly, she started coughing again.

"Ah, Meruto...look at the condition you're in. Do you really think you can run like this? And without any practice?" Takuto asked, worried about his daughter.

Meruto stopped coughing for a second and then controlled her breathing. "I've never wanted anything more than to be outside," Meruto said quietly, looking up at her father with pleading eyes. "And running is something Tai loved more than anything else...more than anything...and if he can't run, then I want to. I want to be connected with him... I want to be a part of the thing he loved more than anything..."

Takuto looked away from Meruto's eyes, knowing that if he stared at them long enough he'd give in to her plea. "Meruto...you know I can't allow you to run in your condition. You can go outside, but no running, understand?" Takuto stated firmly, still not looking at Meruto.

"I understand, dad," Meruto replied with sadness and then turned away from him. Her dream was to run with Tai, do his favorite thing in the world with him right by her side. She knew it would never come true for more than one reason, but she always wanted to try...and if that Shinigami was going to come for her next, she had to accomplish her dream soon. "Dad, can I listen to mom's songs now?"

"Now? They're at home, you know..." Takuto stated, wondering what this was all about. He looked up at his daughter and when he saw her eyes, he gave in. "Alright, I'll go get them."

With those last words, Takuto left the room closing the door behind him. _I only have one chance..._ Meruto's mind stated and she glanced down at her watch. The time was half past three and the race started at five. She had an hour and a half to arrive there on time. Quickly, she grabbed her regular clothes and changed into them. _Nothing can get in my way now..._

Suddenly, something clamored behind her and she spun around only to see a man had fallen to the floor. It seemed like he traveled through the wall since there was no window. Then, Meruto gasped as she noticed the man had tiger ears meaning he was the Shinigami that took her mother's soul away.

"No, you aren't taking me!" Meruto yelled as fiercely as she could, but her voice had a quiver in it and just as she finished, the Shinigami looked up at her. Meruto froze as he looked at her. His eyes were...the same as Tai's...but...that cold look in them wasn't the same...No...he wasn't Tai.

"Tell me, girl, how is it that you can see me?" the Shinigami asked, still glaring coldly at Meruto.

Meruto looked down, asking the same question to herself, but then she remembered the race. "Sorry Shinigami-san, but I have to go!" Meruto raced to the door and ran out with a quick, "See ya!"

"Ah, hey! Wait up!" the Shinigami yelled and flew after her, but when he got to the hallway, she was gone. "Dammit...where'd she go?"

Annoyed, the Shinigami flew up out of the roof and scanned the area around the hospital. About a yard away from the hospital, he spotted Meruto. "There you are girly."

The Shinigami flew down right in front of Meruto who was so surprised that she couldn't stop and fell right into him. "Ow...sorry! But I can't stop to talk! I have to get to a race!" Meruto yelled and quickly rose from the ground and ran on.

"Hey, wait a sec-" the Shinigami yelled back, but then stopped, seeing that the girl wouldn't listen to him. "This is going to be a pain."

Suddenly, Meruto started coughing and she fell to her knees in a coughing fit. Surprised, the Shinigami flew over to her side. "Hey, kid, you okay?" he asked, a bit annoyed by the whole situation.

"Please...don't take me...I have to...race...please..." Meruto said between coughs and breaths. "I can't die...yet...please...just one race...just one..."

"And how are you supposed to race in that condition, huh girly?" the Shinigami asked, standing up with an annoyed look. "Besides, you have 3 months left to live. I'm supposed to make sure you die at that time, no sooner, no later."

Meruto stopped coughing, took a few deep breaths, and then stood up to face the Shinigami. "If I only have 3 months, then I have to race. It's...the only thing..." Meruto stopped, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. It was so hard to go on...

"You have to be alive for 3 more months. Racing will bring about your death faster, so I can't allow it," the Shinigami replied, still annoyed at Meruto and getting more annoyed by the second.

"But...please Shinigami-san!" Meruto begged and the tears started falling down her cheeks. The thought of dying without being able to be connected with Tai was unbearable. She had to race...for him.

The Shinigami looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "If you race, will you willingly come with me in 3 months? No resistance at all?"

Meruto thought about it deeply. What would happen to Takuto if she died? No...he'd be alright. And if she died, she could be with Tai for the first time in so long... "Alright. I will. I'll come with you in 3 months time with no arguments whatsoever."

So, the Shinigami stepped out of the way and Meruto was just about to walk past when she turned to the Shinigami and asked, "Is there a way you can make my heart strong when I run?"

The Shinigami raised an eyebrow at the girl, but when he saw her pleading innocent face, he gave in. "Fine, but I'm just healing the problem, not making any changes whatsoever to the condition of it after the healing is done."

"I understand." Meruto nodded. In three months time, she would be with Tai. Until then, she would be with him in spirit doing the sport he loved more than anything else.

(A/N: I'm not in the mood to explain it...but the Shinigami did what Takuto did to Mitsuki except Meruto doesn't get any older. Okay? sigh I'm lazy, I know.)

The Shinigami snapped his fingers and suddenly, a burden was lifted off Meruto's shoulders. Her breaths came easier and for once in her lifetime, she wasn't afraid she could die at any moment. "Now, get going already, kid," the Shinigami stated and Meruto snapped out of it.

"Right!" she stated firmly and was about to run to the race, but stopped and turned to the Shinigami again.

"What now!" he asked, annoyed beyond his limit now.

"What's your name?" Meruto asked with a smile on her face.

The Shinigami looked taken aback, but answered, "Tomoko...why?"

Meruto's smile widened and she ran up and hugged Tomoko while saying, "Thank you, Tomoko-san! Thank you!"

* * *

**Please Review. It's coming along nicely now! - I love it...SO MUCH! When you think of Meruto, just think of Mitsuki when she's 16 except with her real hair color. She loks basically like that...I drew her a few times when she was 6. But not 16.**


	3. Running

**Meruto's Choice**

**Sequel to Meruto's Wish...It's been 10 years since she went back in time...so now, she's 16. Meruto found her own Takky, but he died. She told herself to never love anyone else. And a Shinigami has come to take her soul. Will she go?**

**No, I don't own Full Moon, Takuto, etc. They are all owned by Arina Tanemura, a wicked, awesome, outta-sight, spectacular manga-ka!**

**Which reminds me. I have news to all Tanemura fans: Shinshi Doumei Cross is coming out in English manga in March 2007! - Be prepared!**

**But I do own Meruto! XD And Tomoko...and Mrs. Kilaman (in this chappie). And any other random charries not in FMWS.**

**Chapter 3**

**Running...**

Meruto reached the race spot just before the race started, but she was panting from running there. _No...I have to race for Tai..._ she thought just before heading to the sign-in desk. For once, her steps weren't difficult to make when she was breathing hard and she wasn't about to pass out. She...could breath...

"Would you like to sign up for the race, miss?" the lady at the desk asked Meruto who replied with a firm nod. "Just sign in here and the race starts in five minutes."

Meruto nodded once again and then took the pen in her hand. "Erm...is it alright if I just sign my nickname or do I have to sign my real name?" Meruto asked before signing the sheet of paper.

The lady looked up at Meruto with a skeptical look, but replied, "Any name is fine. If you have to use a fake name, you probably can't run anyway."

Meruto ignored the woman's last comment and signed her favorite nickname on the paper, Neko-chan. It was in honor of the person who saved her life, Takuto. Even if he wasn't a cat anymore that would always be Meruto's symbol for him and now it was hers.

So, to get ready for the race, Meruto grabbed a water bottle from the concession stand and sat down on a bench near the track. The race was one full mile, more than she'd ever ran in her life. And the winner of this race would go on to the County Race...and then more races after that... If she could win just one of those races, Tai would be proud of her...and she would be doing something he loved...and maybe, she'd love it too...

"Hey girly?" a voice stated behind Meruto, making her jump in surprise. She spun around only to see Tomoko, the Shinigami, standing behind her. "You gunna race?"

"Yes," Meruto replied, determined and annoyed. Why ask such a stupid question? Of course she was racing!

"Then, I suggest you get up on the starting line," Tomoko stated with boredom and then pointed to the starting line where people were lining up.

Meruto looked at the starting line and then rolled her eyes. "Ba-ka," she stated simply.

Tomoko was taken aback. "What?" he growled. "I was just trying to help you out, you stupid girl!"

Meruto sighed and pointed at the starting line. "You race in groups of six. It doesn't matter if you win your race...it matters if you have the best time. So, I'm probably going to be in one of the last groups."

"But won't that...Takuto fellow know you're gone?" Tomoko asked as the whistle blew for the start of the first heat.

"How do you know Takuto?" Meruto asked, confusion all over her face.

"I had to study up on you before I came down here. You know, family, friends, etc." Tomoko replied simply in a bored voice. He sat down on the bench beside Meruto who sighed. "What?"

"People are evil," Meruto stated simply, shifted her position so her feet were on the bench as well.

Tomoko looked at the girl as if she had just sprouted antlers. "Aren't you a person?"

Meruto shrugged. "I wish I wasn't..." She paused and then added, "People are greedy and selfish. Because of them, the world is dying and everything else is miserable."

"I see you don't think very highly of yourself..." Tomoko chimed in, rolling his eyes away from Meruto.

"Maybe that's why I'm so agreeable to dying..." Meruto said as they called her name. She stood up and turned to Tomoko who had a shocked look on his face from what Meruto has just said. "Wish me luck!" Meruto added with a smile.

Tomoko watched as Meruto jogged lightly towards the starting line. _That is one seriously messed up girl...

* * *

_

As Meruto lined herself up on the starting line, she realized just how much age difference there was between her and the other five people there. Everyone else was so much older than her...and their legs were so muscular compared to her scrawny ones.

Nervousness overcame her as the bell rang for the race to begin and she ended up tripping over her own feet. Luckily, she didn't receive any scrapes or bruises.

But in order to catch up, she had to sprint. So, she lifted herself off the ground and ran. The wind caught in her hair, making it fly behind her and out of her face, but her eyes narrowed in determination. She was only 1/4 mile behind everyone else. She could do this.

Breathing was easy for her and her legs carried her down the track. It was like she was flying. Flying like an angel...flying like Tai was flying then...because Meruto certainly believed he had become an angel. It was true...running was exhilarating...and a chance for a mere mortal to fly above her limits.

Three laps later, Meruto could no longer feel her legs...and yet they kept pumping and she kept racing down the track. Her persistence to win overcame her tiredness and her weakness. Her will conquered everything. No one lay ahead of her and it was the last turn. She didn't have the slightest clue of how she passed the others or even when she passed them, but when she looked up, all she could see in front of her was the outline of a ribbon.

As soon she felt the ribbon tug against her, she receded to a walk...and closed her eyes. Whenever they were open, all the images came in blurry and suddenly, her feet gave out on her and she fell backwards. Awkwardly, she felt herself hit against something hard and when she opened her eyes, she realized she was sitting on the bench again. She had no idea how or when she walked over tot he bench, but...she was there...

"Yo, girly, you awake?" a voice asked her and her eyes sprang wide open as she turned to her side, but sitting there was only Tomoko, not Tai... His voice had that same soft yet annoyed tone in it...but it wasn't Tai's. She would never hear Tai's voice again...not his human one anyway.

"Yeah...I'm alive..." Meruto replied in an annoyed tone and grumbled. With how horrible she felt, she knew she didn't win the race, let alone place in the top 3. "Just leave me alone..."

"Yeah...whatever...but I doubt you'll want that lady with the medal leave you alone..." Tomoko replied in his bored tone of voice and just as he said it, a medal was placed around Meruto's neck. Meruto blinked and looked up into the shining face of the lady behind the desk.

"Congratulations, Neko-chan! You get the first place medal! You ran away so fast, we didn't get to award you properly!" the lady stated and then suddenly, a swarm of reporters and photographers gathered around her.

"Ah! But what about the other competitors?" Meruto asked, noticing only 12 people raced so far.

"Who cares about them? You just worry about training yourself for the County Race in two weeks." the lady stated. "And I can be your manager. Mrs. Kilaman's the name, nice to meet you."

Meruto was taken aback by the woman's friendliness, but didn't get a chance to reply for about ten reporters started asking different questions all at once, not to mention about a dozen cameras were going off. "Uh..."

"Sorry boys, but Neko-chan can't talk today. We'll schedule something later...kay?" Mrs. Kilaman replied and took Meruto away into the girls' locker room under the bleachers.

"Um...excuse me...but what am I supposed to do now? And what happened out there? Why were all those people fawning over me?" Meruto asked Mrs. Kilaman who smiled and laughed at the girl's thoughts.

"You just broke the all-time record here and I'm sure you broke some other ones as well...maybe Olympic even?" Mrs. Kilaman stated and Meruto widened her eyes in astonishment.

"That's not possible." Meruto stated, shaking her head firmly. "I'm not fast."

"Oh yes you are." Mrs. Kilaman reinforced and then popped out a card from her pocket and gave it to Meruto. "Call me later and we'll set up a lunch."

Then, Mrs. Kilaman disappeared out of site. Meruto blinked at where she once stood and then blinked at the card in her hand and asked out loud, "What just happened?"

* * *

**Sorry for the boring chapter. I rushed to finish it...just so I could update. I'm sorry... But soon, I have to get some action!**

**And the "people are evil" thing will make more sense later. R&R.**


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